heibecker



(No Model.) I 28heets-Shet 1.

J. B. HEIBEOKER.

ROWING APPARATUS. NO. 355,266. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

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J. B/HEIBEOKBR,

(No Model.)

ROWING APPARATUS.

J Patented Deoy28, 1886.

,L. wiimmumm UNITED STATES 1 JOHN B. HEIBEGKER,

PATENT QFFIGE.

on NEW YORK, iv. Y.

ROWING APPARATUS v.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355.266, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed October 13. 1885. Serial No. 179,778. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. HEIBEOKER, a citizen of the United States, andaresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rowing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to exercising appara tus, and especially to such as are organized to produce the movements which are effected in rowing a boat.

The object of my invention is to construct an apparatus of the character mentioned in which the force to be overcome by the person exercising is given by means of friction that will enable the operator to derive the same benefit from the use thereof that he could derive from actually rowing a boat upon the water.

My invention consists in the peculiarities pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this description, and in which like features are indicated by like letters, Figure 1 is atop plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention. 2 is an end elevation of one of the pieces which connect the spring-rails at theirends. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in vertical section, of a part of the spring-seat and one of the legs thereof, showing the roller of said leg resting upon the track of the side frame. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 00 m of Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the spring-rails and their end pieces.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A represents the side frames of the apparatus, which may be of the conformation shown in Fig. 4, or of any other shape, except that the centers of the top edges should in all cases beelevated or curved, as shown at b. The tracks are thus elevated in the center in order to produce, as nearly as may be, the peculiar rocking motion which a rower experiences in rough water, and to require the operator to exert the greatest effort in the middle of his stroke, which he must do to pull himself over the said elevations in forcing the oars through the centers of the spring-rails G. The top edges of these side pieces are provided with depressed tracks a, which are supplied with rails b, preferably rounded in crosssection and composed of leather or wire. These side pieces are of a length and thickness sufficient for the purposes for which they are designed, and maybe made of wood of any suitable kind. They are held together at the required distance apart by the wooden con necting-piece B and block B. The block B is slotted longitudinally for the reception of the bar 0, which carries at its outer end the foot-pieces c c, which are secured to a round bar, 0, turning easily in a depression in and near the end of the bar 0, and held in position by the metal plate 0 having a corresponding depression on its under surface, all as shown in Fig. 1. The position of the foot-pieces with relation to the front end of the apparatus is regulated by the set-screw din an obvious manner.

D indicates the seat upon which the opera tor sits. This seat is of ordinary form and is provided with four legs, F. Each of these legs consists of two parts, 0 e, the former being hollow and containing the coiled spring 6',

which bears at its top upon the bottom of theseat and rests upon that part of the leg e which fits in the hollow part c in such manner as to permit the part c, which is secured to the seat 1), to reciprocate thereon, thereby insuring an easy spring motion to the seat. The part e of the leg is detachably secured to the seat by means of the screws 9. The steadying-pin e reciprocates in the slots in the sides of the legpiece 6, as shown. At the bottom of the legpiece 6 is the roller h, having a groove of a size sufficient to accommodate the rail 1), as shown in Fig. 3.

The oar-locks E are secured about midway bet-ween the ends of the sidepieces, A,by passing the oar-lock-supporting bars 1' through holes in said side pieces and securing them in such position by pins passing through the bloeks,as at k. The oar-locks are pivoted in the outer ends of said supporting-bars z'. The oars O are permanently secured in place by the pins l,passing through the ears of the oar-locks E, and through the oars also, so that the proper position of the oar with relation to the springrails is always accurately maintained.

The letter G represents the spring-rails, which are of a peculiar conformation, and are so made in order that the operator may be able to get the benefit of a motion very closely re- ICO that when detached from the side pieces, A, r

they may be folded up against the said springrails for transportation or storage. The bars H are detachably connected to the side pieces, A, by pins at k, by passing the ends of said bars through holes in the said side frames, as shown in Fig. 1.

The spring-rails G are composed of two members, an upper and a lower member. The upper member is of the conformation shown, being bent near each end'at n, sothat the portion of said member between the bends a n is depressed below said ends and is curved out in the center at 12?, while the under surface of said member gradually curves from the points nn forashortdistan cc and then assumes a straight line until the points n 1? are reached, between which points the surface is enlarged on a curve, as shown. The lower member of said rails G is of a conformation corresponding to the upper member so far as concerns its extremities,

but the surface between the points n n is straight, both at top and bottom, except for a short distance after leaving the points n a, when it follows a gradual curve. When the members of rails G are made as described and placed in proper relation to each other, as in Fig. 5, it will be seen that their extreme ends are .quite a distance apart, while their inner surfaces at the center are in contact. Between the center and end spaces the rails are slightly separated, all as shown in Fig. 5.

Attached to each end of the lower member of rail G is a hollow block, o,which receives a pin, p, secured in the under surface of the end of the upper rail. This pin serves as a guide to keep the ends of the railsin position when they are reciprocating under the operation of the oar. On the outer surface of the upper rail is a block, T, "which is slotted on its front edge, as shown, for the purpose of permitting the tension of the coiled springss to be adjusted to accommodate the apparatus to stronger or weaker operators. The springs s are secured permanently to the lower rail, their opposite ends being free and capable of different adjustments, as explained.

The ends of the oars are provided with revoluble sections 15, which facilitates the passage of the oars through the spring-rails G.

In using the apparatus the operator sits, as (usual, in the seat 1), which he brings to a position near the front end of the structure, and places his feet on the foot-pieces 0 c, the bar 0 having beeen adjusted to suit. In this posi tion the operator grasps the oars and moves his body in such manner as to carry the seat D back toward the curve I), Fig. 4, and

then makes ready for a stroke with both oars, placing the oars within the end spaces of the spring-rails at the rear of the apparatus, and then pulls upon the oars,as in the act of rowing, in which operation he gradually moves his seat toward the rear end of the apparatus,

passing over the elevation 12, and when the oars have passed through the spring-rails into the end spaces at the front ends of said rails the seat of the operator has passed to near the back end of the apparatus, in which position the operator lifts the cars and returns them over the tops of the spring-rails to the spaces at the back of the apparatus,in readiness for another stroke, in the act of doing which he pulls himself over the elevationb to his first position near the front of the structure. The frictional contact between the oars and spring-rails is greatest when the oars are at or near the center of their stroke.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rowing or exercising apparatus, the side pieces, A, provided with tracks, as shown, and having their centers elevated,as at 1), substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The side pieces, A, provided with tracks and central evevations, as shown, in combination with seat D, provided with rollers, and oar-locks having oars secured therein, substantially as set forth.

3. The seat D, provided with legs consisting of the parts e 6, spring 6*, and roller 71, substantially. as set forth.

4. An oar for rowing apparatus provided with a revoluble section, it, near its outer end, substantially as set forth. 1

5. The spring-rail G, provided with the lateral bars H H, hinged to the said rails and capable ofbeing folded in close contact therewith, substantially as set forth.

6. "In an exercising-machine, a spring-rail Witnesses:

W. E. BOWEN, J. E. M. BOWEN.

IIO 

